|
In the aftermath of the war on Lebanon, a lot of soul searching has probably been going on in Israel. The main agenda or theme of discussion is how it underestimated the Hezbollah.
Now that the war is over, the Gulf region in particular and the Arab world as a whole needs to address one controversial and sensitive issue — who is the bigger problem, Iran or
Israel?
Israel has always been considered an enemy in the Arab and Islamic world. Each move by Israel has been rightfully looked upon with suspicion and scepticism.
But in the case of Iran, with its own theocratic regime, the threat has been ignored.
After the recent war on Lebanon, it is time to look at Iran from a different perspective; will a nuclear Iran pose a greater challenge and threat to the stability of the Middle East?
Ever since the end of the Iran-Iraq war, Iran has been slowly consolidating its position in the region, on all fronts.
Economically, the oil revenue has helped it; politically it has taken advantage of the vacuum and void left with the fall of Iraq.
Fall of regimes helped
The United States has indirectly helped Iran. They toppled two regimes in the region, which were considered major threats to the stability and security of Iran.
Taliban in Afghanistan and Saddam Hussain in Iraq were replaced. At the same time, Iran has been left unchecked to build its own sophisticated missile system, as well as acquiring huge quantities of arms from countries like Russia and North Korea.
As a result, Iran has slowly emerged as a major military, political and economical power in the region.
Another card that counts in Iran’s favour is that it has always considered itself to be the guardian of the Shiite population all over the world. All the Arab countries in the region have a considerable Shiite population.
No exaggeration
With the recent war on Lebanon and the victory of the Hezbollah, it’s barely an exaggeration to say that the overall winner is Iran. The biggest loser is not Israel but the US and its allies.
Israel has in fact helped Iran in gaining more popular support among the masses. The war brought the Muslim world together — to rally behind the Hezbollah and Iran. Now imagine the same Iran with nuclear arms, although the power is claimed to being used for infrastructure purposes, rather than warfare.
Being the only loud voice to oppose Israel, it will not only enjoy political power in the region, but will be able to impose its will across the region.
The writer is a founder member of the Gulf News Reader’s Club
|
